Bradford
Exports and Imports The Cities of Bradford make full use of the flanking lake and deep mines. Scarlet Rice and Bearded Aelwyn are common exports from Lake Honu. Psionite, cobblestone, and pottery make full use of the Bradford Veins. Government Both Bradfordshire and Bradfordton are goverend under individual monarchy. Vosdren Bradford rules over Bradfordton and Tifar Bradford rules over Bradfordshire. The brothers seem to make a lot of wacky laws to irritate the other. People of Interest * Vosdren Bradford- The oldest of the two dwarven twins by 16 minutes, Vosdren rules over Bradfordton. Like his brother, he is a gregarious and egotistical dwarf who is married to his first-wife Bethoni Bradfordton and second-wife Lonahilda Grimhide. It is common knowledge that Vosdren is obsessively jealous of Tifar because his first wife has undergone multiple miscarriages without a single successful childbirth. * Tifar Bradford- Proud and gregarious like his brother Vosdren, he rules over Bradfordshire. With his first-wife Brigget and his son Acksyl, they live a grand life of royalty. Once married to his second-wife Lonahilda, he often laments losing her companionship and claims it was at the hand of Vosdren. * Bethoni Bradford- First-wife of Vosdren, she is a beautiful dwarf who enjoys great music and the arts. It is a rare and wonderful site to see her smile. It is rumored that she hides a great sadness knowing that she is unable to give birth to a son of Vosdren. * Brigget Bradford- First-wife of Tifar, she is a fair dwarf who enjoys her precious gems and jewelry. It is believed that she has an amulet made of cold-blue pearls flanking a rare psionite gem. * Lonhilda Grimhide- The former second-wife of Tifar, is now the second-wife of Vosdren. She is a beautiful dwarf, but not much else is known about her. She is not seen in public. It is rumored that Vosdren captured Lonhilda to bear him a child. It is customary for second-wives to keep their maiden name. * Raga- The Master Gaffer and shopkeeper of The Blowhard is a fat elf. As fat as an elf can possibly be, you imagine. A self-proclaimed adventurer of years past, but rather physically inept these days. After retiring from his charlatan ways, he has since mastered the art of glass blowing. He speaks in the most disgustingly hoarse voice you've heard in years, likely because he once sucked, when he should have blown. He makes the most beautiful baubles, orbs, and beverage pitchers. Places of Interest *'The Invisible Eel'-''' A sushi bar known for having the best sushi chef on the Swift River, Yaro Katsmir. Featuring Invisible eel, Bearded Aelwyn and Dryad's Hair seaweed, only the best sushi chefs are capable of serving Invisible eel, whose flesh is nearly transparent. Yaro himself is a city favorite amongst the locals, his larger than life personality and low prices keep his bar packed, he will even serve up anything caught fresh from lake Honu if a guest brings it in. If you go for the sushi, you'll stay for the Scarlet Sake. *'''The Wet Cat- A small, but profitable fishing outfit run by one Laerie Minerson (bastard name). His bastard status took him many years to overcome but his good nature, work ethic and perseverance have won over the hearts of the locals. Well known as the best fisherman on Lake Honu, Laerie will give guided outings, fish for commision or teach a beginner how to fish. Well into his 50s now, his seasoned face is respected and well known. His favorite boat is also known as Wet Cat. *'Kharmin's Ode'- A large statue in tribute to the famous bard Kharmin the Great. *'Slag-N-Gag'- A tavern paid by the mine owners, it provides minimal subsistence for miners. There's a slimy cook that is not too keen on sharing his name. *'The Blowhard'- A two-story building of iron, with several stained glass windows. The walls are inscribed with arcane writing, presumably glass making formulae. The shelves are to the ceiling, filled with every possible color and swirl of sparkling glass objects. *'The Lord's Manor'- A most curious decrepit building. A large heap of twisting stone towers and unimaginable architecture. Spires, treacherous walk-ways, and strange statues adorn the overgrown property. The roofs and structural aspects are crumbled beyond repairs in areas, while other parts seem almost new, yet, no one is ever spied. Children are often told scary stories about how they'll be put in the the Manor's dungeons if they don't behave. People are sometimes seen exploring the ruinous parts, but no one ever dares to go too far in. An inexplicable feeling of dread overcomes anyone who stays on the property too long. While no one knows the true origins of the property, some say it was the constructed vision of a madman's dream... *'Widow Creek Trading'- A very sturdy shop carved into the receded bedrock of Honu Lake, this shop is located in a little alcove just inside of town. It is run by Grift "The Swift" and his wife Amaltas. Rumors about Grift retiring on his old adventuring findings are murmured all over Bradford but the only comment he gives is "Whatever brings in the customers!" It is sometimes referred to as Grift's Palace because of the heavy fortifications. *'The Lost Statue'- On the outskirts of town, there is a simple stone statue of a human wearing robes. Both hands are clasped before him onto the hilt of a sword with the blade resting at his feet. The statue is weathered stone and generally unremarkable. It was built to an adventurer who died in battle long ago. His name is forgotten and worn off. It's called the Lost Statue because it represents those adventurers who never return. *'Maw of the 9 Hells'- A deep entrance to the Bradford Vein, it is entered through a complex pulley system. It is operated by a psionite-drive construct named Ackrynechdenis. The elevator is large and strong enough to fit 9 horses at once. This entrances is located on the Bradfordton side of the cities. *'Lake Honu'- The flanking lake of the Cities of Bradford, it is most notable for how shallow the water is. This makes it ideal for Scarlet Rice to grow and be harvested. It is also home to a popular exported fish Bearded Aelwyn. Because of the Great Dragon War, many dragon skeletons are laid rest in the shallow waters. Many fortune seekers have sought to collect the dragon remnants. Be warned, in the Cities of Bradford, it is illegal to be in possession of dragon remnants. *'The Bradford Vein'- Laid claim long before the Great Dragon War, the Bradford family has the long promise of royalties to last ages. The vein is presently owned and excavated by the Bortles Excavating Company, run by Thom Bortles. It is known that the entrances between The Maw of the 9 Hells and Blossom Palace. *'Blossom Palace'- Once the single governing building of Bradford, it now resides on what is presently known as Bradfordshire. It is home to Tifar and Brigget Bradford. The palace is built partially into the Bradford Vein and has one of two entries into it. The Palace is known as one of the most beautiful mergers of stone and landscaping that anyone has set eyes on. *'The Blue Moon Inn'- A fairly average inn run by halfing Haplo Markov and his trusty half-orc assistant Krant. They have the most famous goat of all Bradford, Goatnip, who is smart enough to deliver drinks to your table. Haplo himself is an interesting fellow who seems to have a curious amount of information around town. *'Vithanrunedar'- A trading goods store run by Cleo Luanna, a female half-elf. Her store seems to be failing over the past few years with the abundance of other stores. *'Entertainment Row'- A strip of Cassandra Road which has been popularized by many entertainers, including Kharmin the Great. An Amphitheater has been built here to host many events and announcements. *'Forde's Forge'- A quality forge run by Mara Forde. She has a wooden sign out front that says "All vampires on the premise will be slain". Her husband Mairiss helps with odd jobs around the forge. *'The Hedge- '''So named because it forms the southern border for a portion of Bradfordshire, the Hedge is also called the Bush, or Proving Grounds by some of the local gangs of ragamuffin youths. Formerly a source of game and wood, The Hedge is now a place for initiates of one of the gangs of Bradforshire to prove their worth. Few adults enter The Hedge, but tell tales amongst the children speak of a hermit who lives inside of the hollow of a massive dead tree somewhere, if you find him he'll either curse you or enchant you, depending on the child asked. *'Brewster’s Roost-''' A two story building with a bar, entertainment area, waiting room and bath downstairs. There are several bedrooms upstairs. The entire brothel smells of lavender and is quite pleasing to the senses. You occasionally hear the sound of a harp strumming in the entertainment area. It is run by Madame Brewster. Local Pastimes / Culture Most residence of Bradford love a good Hammer-Toss game. It is played with a modified war-hammer and tossed by spinning in a circle to gain momentum. The winner is the thrower with the longest hammer. The thrower must make 3 revolutions before releasing the hammer. The hammer must land in the agreed field of play, usually 15 feet wide. The first thrower may attempt up to 3 throws. If the first thrower is satisfied with any of their first two throws, the other throwers may only attempt up to the same number of throws. For example; if Tor throws his first throw and dislikes it, he may throw a second one. Tor throws a second throw and likes it, the remaining players may only make two attempts now. The Cities of Bradford have an unusually high tax rate to produce wine and tobacco. For that reason, they fancy these goods from Swift Bend. Special Rules for Local PCs * Animal Apathy- Residence of Bradford are stereo-typically considered poor horsemen, or generally poor in handling animals altogether. PCs have disadvantage on all handle animal checks. * Crowd Maneuvering- Residence of Bradford have problems forming a line and acting orderly when unasked, however, they seem to navigate well this way. PCs have advantage on all checks that involve interacting with a crowd of people. Maps Bradfordshire Bradfordton